Falling (a Heartstopper fanfiction)

Coursework

End-of-year parent conferences. Never fun. But Charlie had been especially dreading this one. He couldn't have said what it was, but he just didn't seem to have enthusiasm for his work. It wasn't that it was hard—it was really that it was too easy. Why bother? He wasn't learning anything; it was more busywork than anything else. And if he held an assignment an extra day, if he did only every other problem, then that was his choice.

But his mother was not going to see things that way. So he hadn't told her what she was going to hear at conferences.

With the absolutely predictable effect. As the morning wore on, her face tightened, her eyes taking on that flat, cold look that said he was a terrible disappointment. And his father started looking strained, glancing between the two of them, not happy with the situation but not wanting to add to Charlie's burdens. In some ways, that was worse. His mum made him feel like only his grades were important to her; his dad made him feel fragile and broken.

Mr. Lange ended the day earnestly, looking Charlie in the eye and telling him he needed to start focusing on his schoolwork. Charlie had always wondered what, if anything, Mr. Lange knew or suspected about him and Nick, but really, what did it matter? Couldn't he just be happy for five minutes? Wasn't that at least as important as doing yet another essay that no one cared about? Including him.

But, again, his parents did not see it that way. On the way home, his mum turned her head to glance at him over her shoulder. "So. Your coursework essay."

"It's fine, I'll get it done." He always had. Couldn't they trust him?

"Yeah, but it's not just that, is it?" She stared at him. Then she took a breath and started again, in a softer tone. "I know getting your first boyfriend is very exciting, but—"

"What? It's not Nick's fault."

"Charlie!"

As his mum's volume escalated, his dad cut in more reasonably. "You've been going round each other's houses almost every day for weeks, Charlie. It's no wonder you haven't done your coursework."

"I've still got a few weeks to finish it!" When had he ever let them down? Never. And now a few late assignments and they were acting like this?

"Well, I think you and Nick need to spend some time apart." His mum turned back round to face the road after delivering her judgement.

"That's not fair!"

"We are not banning you from seeing each other completely," his dad began, but his mum cut him off.

"No, it needs to be a complete ban." She turned to Charlie again. "Until this coursework essay is handed in, Nick is not allowed round our house, and you are not allowed round his."

Charlie clenched his teeth to keep from shouting at her. He'd learned very early in life that fighting back only made her more determined to have her way. And some part of him knew that this was the way most parents would react, and understood that they were trying to treat him like a normal kid.

But he wasn't a normal kid—he had always gotten top grades, so he didn't see why one spring's worth of slipping was such a big deal, and why they couldn't trust him when he said he'd get it back. And Nick was his happiness. Couldn't they see that, either? Or didn't they care?

He went back to his room, usually his safe space, but now all he could see was the pile of books, flashing at him, telling him what he had to choose to do.

So he ignored them and went to his drum kit, instead. His mum didn't love him playing drums, but it was an academic class, so she couldn't complain too much.

But even the drums didn't make him feel better. Not when he knew there was no chance to see Nick—not out of school, not in school. Only at rugby, and that was so tense because of Nick's struggle to forgive his friends.

Sighing, he picked up his phone. "my parents have banned me from hanging out with you until my coursework is done". He'd told Nick earlier that he was dreading the day because he was behind on everything, but he had never imagined his mum would take it this far.

"WHAT"

Charlie lay down on his bed in his favourite texting position. "i'm sorry," he typed. But he knew Nick would tell him it wasn't his fault. And he wasn't sorry—he was mad. They had just ... laid down the law, like his opinions, his thoughts, weren't important. He changed the text to say "i'm so ANGRY"

Nick sent a lot of sad faces, then added, "First the study hall and now this" "The universe is pulling us apart"

"we are tragic starcrossed lovers," Charlie replied.

"We should run away to Paris together"

"bring Nellie though"

"Of course" Then Nick added, "My brother came home today" "He's a dick"

Charlie had guessed that from the way Nick never talked about his brother, and the way Nick's mum had literally never mentioned him in Charlie's hearing. He sent back a sad face. "i want to hug u"

They exchanged hearts, and Charlie lay there with the phone on his chest considering whether to start some overdue homework. Maths. He supposed he could do some maths. Certainly not the history coursework. He wasn't about to give his mum the satisfaction of thinking she could dictate what work he did and when.